• About
    • Partnerships
    • Contact
  • Motherhood
  • Home
    • Family
    • Littles
    • Recipes
    • Decor
  • Style
  • Beauty
  • Shop
  • TikTok

Southern Made Blog

Nashville based life & style brand

August 18, 2021 | Leave a Comment

Travel Guide: Hot Springs, Arkansas

Spread the love
visit-hot-springs-national-park-arkansas-1-2048x2048hot-springs-travel-guide

Every summer we plan a trip for one week while our boys are at their grandparent’s house. This year we knew we wanted to pick a location that was an easy drive from Nashville. We landed on Hot Springs, Arkansas and I’m so glad we did. It’s a beautiful landscape and history lured me in. This city did not disappoint!

Whether you’re planning a family vacation or a romantic getaway like us, Hot Springs is a great destination. It’s now one of our favorite cities in the South. In this travel guide, I’ll share our favorite tourists’ spots, restaurants, hotels, and more!



GARVAN WOODLAND GARDENS

Garvan Woodland Gardens is a MUST-SEE! As I searched through #visithotsprings on Instagram, this place came up constantly. There are over 200 acres of botanical gardens, stunning architecture, and beauty to take in. The Anthony Chapel was the main reason I wanted this to be one of our stops. It was absolutely breathtaking. If you want to see more, head over to my Instagram and watch through the “Hot Springs” highlight as I walk y’all through the chapel.

anthony-chapel-garvan-woodland-gardens-1536x2048
garvan-woodland-gardens-arkansas
garvan-woodland-gardens-hot-springs

BATHHOUSE ROW

Bathhouse Row was an absolute favorite! I’m a sucker for historical buildings and learning about the stories behind them. Located along Central Avenue, there are eight bathhouses that were built between the late 1800s and early 1900s. Walking through a few of these gave us a little glimpse into that era and it was pretty amazing. You can see read more about the history of these buildings here.

quapaw-baths-hot-springsbuckstaff-bathhouse-hot-springs
bathhouse-row-emporium-hot-springs-arkansas
buckstaff-bathhouse-row-hot-springs
hot-springs-national-park-arkansas
ozark-bathhouse-hot-springs-arkansas

MAGIC SPRINGS THEME & WATER PARK

Magic Springs is Arkansas’ only theme and water park. If you’re coming to Hot Springs, this needs to be on your list of things to do. We went just the two of us, but our boys would’ve loved it. They had several rides for kids and the water park is very family-friendly. Tickets include all-day use of the thrill rides, water slides, concerts, attractions, and special events.

We split it up into two days but could have easily enjoyed the entire park in one. We did a little thrill-seeking with the rollercoasters. The next day we spent several hours at the water park. We had a cabana by the pool which was so nice. The perks were definitely the privacy and having our lunch delivered to us. We spent the rest of the afternoon on the lazy river and riding the tube water slides. Such a fun day!

Magic-Springs-Arkansas-Theme-Water-Park
magic-springs-theme-park-hot-springs-arkansas
magic-springs-water-park-hot-springs
magic-springs-theme-park-hot-springs

HOT SPRINGS MOUNTAIN TOWER

Hot Springs Mountain Tower is the place to be if you want to see all of the city. It’s absolutely breathtaking with the panoramic views that cover 140 miles of the Ouachita Mountains, Hot Springs Mountain, and Diamond Lakes area. Make sure you stop at the lookout point before heading up to the tower.

hot-springs-mountain-tower-overlook
mountain-springs-tower-hot-springs
hot-springs-mountain-tower-history

hot-springs-arkansas-views


where-to-eat-in-hot-springs

Central Avenue is where you want to be to hit up all of the great restaurant options. We visited several that were delicious.

Here were a few favorites:

DELUCA’S PIZZA

Deluca’s Pizza – Incredible pizzas, burgers, desserts, and drinks. This was definitely a trendy, popular spot. The owner was so nice. Even though they were busy, he made a point to introduce himself and talk with us for a short time. If you love veggies like me, try their veggie pizza that’s off the menu. It had a little bit of spice and the flavor was phenomenal.

BUBBALU’S

Bubbalu’s – Burgers, Hot Dogs, and Milkshakes. We stopped by here for lunch after we left Bathhouse Row. It reminded me of a cute, old diner. Daniel said their chicken sandwich was amazing.

KILWIN’S

Kilwins – Fudge, truffles, ice cream, and more. This place never disappoints. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, you’re not going to want to miss this one. Make sure to try my favorite… mocha truffles and dark chocolate truffles, dark chocolate sea salt apples, and caramel salted Oreos.

FAT BOTTOMED GIRLS CUPCAKES

Fat Bottomed Girls Cupcakes – Cupcakes, candy, and treats. I tried the lavender cupcake which was so yummy! We also grabbed some goodies from the candy wall to take to our boys. This bakery was featured on Cupcake Wars, which is pretty neat!

bubbalus-hot-springs
delucas-pizza-hot-springs
fat-bottomed-girls-cupcakes
kilwins-hot-springs

SUPERIOR BATHHOUSE BREWERY

Superior Bathhouse Brewery– This historic bathhouse turned small craft brewery was amazing! It had the feel of an old bathhouse but when you walk into the bar, you get an insider’s view. They’re the world’s first brewery to utilize thermal spring water as the main ingredient.

The food was incredible from appetizer to dessert. If you’re a beer lover, you’ll love it. Here’s a little tip, order the root beer float. It might’ve been my favorite. We also got a flight of four beers to try and they were all so different. Such a fun experience!

superior-bathhouse-brewery-hot-springs-

hot-springs-arkansas-dining-recommendations
hot-springs-arkansas-restaurants
superior-bathhouse-brewery-hot-springs-arkansas-food
superior-bathhouse-brewery-hot-springs-beer

where-to-stay-in-hot-springs-arkansas


THE HOTEL HOT SPRINGS

The Hotel Hot Springs – The location of this hotel is perfect! Just steps away from Central Avenue, you can walk to restaurants, bars, shopping, and more. Ask for a room on one of the top floors. The views are incredible! We could see Bathhouse Row and Hot Springs Mountain Tower. This hotel’s prices are amazing for the quality of the rooms. We ate breakfast in their restaurant and at night had a cocktail while we listened to the live music! We were so happy we started our stay here.

downtown-hot-springs-hotel-arkansas
hotel-hot-springs-arkansas-views
hot-springs-hotel-arkansas

OAKLAWN RACING CASINO RESORT

Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort – The resort and spa are brand new as of this summer. Everything was so nice and clean. Located about five to ten minutes from the downtown area, you can easily just spend the entirety of your stay on the property. We spent the last two days at the Oaklawn and focused on relaxing.

We heard their restaurant, The Buglar, was great but it had strange hours and it wasn’t open at all during our stay. The casino and Big Al’s Diner are open 24/7, so there’s always entertainment and food at your disposal.

The bed was very comfortable, so we took advantage of the room service and ate a few meals in the room, and watched some movies. Something about not having to get out of bed, eating a meal that you didn’t make, and then not having to share it with kids makes it so delish and enjoyable.

oaklawn-racing-casino-resort
oaklawn-resort-spa-racing-casino

ASTRAL SPA

Aside from the room, my favorite thing about the Oaklawn was their Astral Spa. If you go to Hot Springs, do yourself a favor and book a treatment here. I splurged and booked a facial and massage. Once those were finished, I had full access to the spa’s incredible amenities which include a needle shower, steam room, infrared sauna, whirlpool, and a cold room. This is the place to be pampered!

oaklawn-astral-spa-hot-springs
oaklawn-astral-spa-hot-springs-arkansas
oaklawn-restort-astral-spa-hot-springs

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Hot Springs. We fit a lot into a few days but still missed out on a few things. Next time we will plan to hike in Hot Springs National Park, visit the Ohio Club and The Gangster Museum, and rent a boat at the Hot Springs Marina.

Other accommodations that we will check out for our next stay:

These historic hotels in the heart of downtown – Arlington Hotel // Hale Hotel // Waters Hotel

The Reserve at Hot Springs is a one-hundred-year-old boutique hotel. Sadly, we only learned about this by passing it on our way to the Oaklawn. I would’ve loved to visit this historic estate. It was so beautiful!


Hopefully, this travel guide helps walk you through this beautiful town. If you plan a trip, I’d love to hear what your itinerary will be! If you’ve been before, what are your favorite spots? Also, y’all be sure to keep an eye out for all of the incredible murals along Central Avenue. Happy traveling, friends!

visit-hot-springs-murals

This is a sponsored post by Visit Hot Springs. All opinions are my own. A special thanks to Hotel Hot Springs, Magic Springs Theme & Water Park, Deluca’s Pizza, Superior Bathhouse Brewery, Garvan Woodland Gardens, and Hot Springs Mountain Tower for making our trip so memorable. Check out Visit Hot Springs to learn all about this amazing city and all it has to offer year-round.

Related

Stay Up To Date

You’ll Also Love

must see spots in montanaThe Ultimate Travel Guide to Montana
Travel Guide Through Napa Valley
Life Lately | Southern Made BlogLife Lately | Family is Good for the Soul

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Next Post >

My Current Skincare Routine

Looking for something?

Categories

FOLLOW ALONG

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest

Subscribe!

Southern Made on Pinterest

Follow along on Instagram

I’m super excited about tonight’s post, y’al I’m super excited about tonight’s post, y’all! I don’t do many giveaways. So…when I do, they’re good and this one is GOOOODDD!!! I’ve teamed up with the best MedSpa in the Nashville area, @_sundayskin_, to give one of you ladies a free Microneedling session! 

Caroline (@caroline.tingquist.np) is now my go-to girl for all things skincare! She did my first Microneedling with PRF one month ago. Now I want one every month to continue lightening my sun spots, increase collagen, and minimize my pores. It was so easy with minimal discomfort and zero downtime. When I tell y’all my skin is better after this, I mean it. I wish y’all could see the difference between the texture of my skin before and after in person. My foundation goes on like butter and it’ll only get better with each treatment. The benefits are endless!! 🙌🏼 Now one of you ladies will get to come in and have your skin transformed, too! 

Now for the details!! 🎉

*CLOSED*
🎉 Congrats, @deeduke04!! You’re the winner, girl!! 🥳

✨ What you get:
* You’ll be able to pick a FREE Microneedling treatment that’s best for your skin. 

💥HOW TO ENTER💥
* Like this post
* Follow @southernmadeblog & @_sundayskin_ 
* Tag 3 friends

⚡️BONUS ENTRIES⚡️
* 1 extra entry for every person you tag after the first three friends 
* 1 extra entry if you share this photo to your stories and tag @southernmadeblog & @_sundayskin_ 

Disclaimer:
Giveaway closes Sunday, 4/24/22 at 11:59 pm CST. Winner will be announced the following Monday and must respond within 24 hours of being notified. Otherwise, another winner will be chosen. This giveaway is not endorsed by or associated with Instagram.
✨Standing where our home will be in Louisiana. W ✨Standing where our home will be in Louisiana. We’re leaving Tennessee and moving back. ✨

We felt a nudge about 6 months ago to start praying about moving back to Louisiana. So, pray we did! Lots and lots of it. I swore we’d never leave Franklin, so I was a bit confused as to why the Lord had put this on my heart. But I know that His plans are always better than our own. Month after month I softened to the idea and he started working out all the details. 

During spring break we made a trip to Louisiana to see Daniel’s parents and to drive around with a move in mind. We couldn’t find any homes that we loved, so we started looking at land. Long story short, this property is close to my in-laws and had been on the market for over a year. Over an acre on a lake that hadn’t been scooped up. We truly feel that God held it for us. Our vision for this land is dreamy. It will give us what we’ve wanted which is a bit of land that we could turn into our little oasis, it offers some privacy, and allows us to be close to family. 

We closed on the land two weeks ago, put our house here in TN on the market last Friday, accepted an offer on Monday, and started the details of our new home build. The boys will finish out school and then we’re heading back south in early July. It’s all happened fairly quickly but we know it’s what we’re supposed to be doing and we’re at peace with it all. It’s going to be very bittersweet to leave. We love Franklin/Nashville and our community here, but we’re excited about a new adventure and to be around family.
Is anyone else fond of coffee or red wine? I know Is anyone else fond of coffee or red wine? I know I’m not alone. I love the taste but I’m not crazy about what it does for my teeth. ☕️😁

I’m not a fan of whitening strips at home because it always makes my teeth sensitive. I was so excited to get in with @nationsdentalstudio because they offer professional teeth whitening that’s quick. I was curious to see if I’d have the same experience in the office that I have at home Thankfully, that wasn’t the case. 

I was in and out with whiter teeth within an hour. I had minimal discomfort for the first 24 hours and only needed one session. This is definitely the easiest way to get your pearly whites even brighter! Ten out of ten in my book! Not to mention, this is the most chic dental office you’ll ever see. 😍

Mention “Southern Made Blog” when booking a teeth whitening session with @nationsdentalstudio and get $50 off!
🏝 Who wants a beach getaway? I wish we were s 🏝 Who wants a beach getaway? 

I wish we were sending one of you on a beach getaway, but we are gifting one of you some sunshine with a Spring Shopping Spree! 🛍 We’ve teamed up with our favorite boutiques to gift one of you with 

✨ $100 @shopellashea
✨ $100 @hollierayboutique
✨ $100 @fabrikfranklin 

TO ENTER: 
1️⃣ Like this post
2️⃣ Tag a friend
3️⃣ Follow 
@southernmadeblog
@southernsnippets
@shopellashea
@hollierayboutique 
@fabrikfranklin 

✨Share in stories for bonus entries!✨

🎉 Congrats, @janamcollins! You’re our winner, girlfriend! Enjoy your Spring shopping! 🤍

* Not sponsored or associated with instagram. Gifting ends Sunday 2/27/22 and one winner will be randomly selected/announced on 2/28.
I’m very thankful for this guy right here. We’ I’m very thankful for this guy right here. We’ve really been living the “for better or worse” and “through sickness and health” bit of our vows the past month.

We got back from Montana and a couple of weeks later I got pretty sick from Covid. He stepped up and was Mr Mom taking care of the boys, me, and everything in between. 

Then the next week he was in an accident.  A guy ran a red light and plowed into him. We gained a little perspective that day. We’re so grateful that God protected him and he came home to us that day. He’s had some issues due to the wreck and we’re praying for answers, direction, and healing. Prayer warrior friends, would y’all mind joining us?

One thing we’ve been reminded of through all of this is that we aren’t promised tomorrow. Be sure to tell your people that you love them and show that. Be intentional about memory making and spending time with the ones that matter. We’ve got to make the most of your days.
We’ve realized a few things during this incredib We’ve realized a few things during this incredible trip to Montana. 🏔

1️⃣ - Slowing down and soaking in the outdoors
is so good for the soul. 
2️⃣ - Not having cell service isn’t the worst thing in the
world. It’s actually kind of a blessing. 
3️⃣ - We want to travel A LOT more.
4️⃣ - We can handle freezing temps a lot better
than we thought. 🤣🥶

We aren’t promised tomorrow, so we should make the most out of every single day. Book the trip. Travel somewhere that takes your breath away. Make the memories. You’ll never regret it. 

Montana has been done that for us. We’ve continued to be blown away with its beauty. There’s adventure and peace at every turn. We’re leaving tomorrow with memories that will last a lifetime, many “firsts” with our sweet boys, and a itch to get back as soon as possible! 

I have tons of pictures and videos from the past week. I can’t wait to share more with y’all once I’m home and have more time. I’ll also be putting together a blog post with all the details, so stay tuned. 

Thank you, @yellowstonecountry, for this unforgettable trip! We’re so sad to leave Montana, but we will absolutely be back!
That’s it. We’re packing up and moving to Mont That’s it. We’re packing up and moving to Montana! 😍 🏔 

I’m kidding. Maybe. Really though, once you’ve been consumed with this level of beauty around every corner, it’s hard to go back to anything else. 

We drove over to West Yellowstone and had the time of our lives today on our snow coach tour. We got to see two states in one day…Montana and Wyoming! There were Buffalo up close and personal, wolves, eagles, and Old Faithful! I can’t wait to show you everything! 

I had zero phone service all day. It was peaceful and glorious. I took a million videos and photos that I can’t wait to share with y’all. Going to recharge and put some amazing videos together for y’all. This has been the trip of a lifetime! Thank you for that, @yellowstonecountry! Montana has my heart! 🤍

Copyright © 2022 Southern Made Blog · Theme by 17th Avenue

 

Loading Comments...